by François CoutureDeux Pianos (Two Pianos). This title says it all -- and yet it says nothing about the way Sylvie Courvoisier and Jacques Demierre approach their common instrument. This encounter between the two Swiss pianists was recorded in the studio over two days in February 1999. They play together like yin and yang, building their art on complementary contrasts: if one plays the keys, the other attacks the strings directly; if one plays in a form of Sturm und Drang, the other will adopt postmodern fragmentation, and so on. The 21 improvisations are all short (between 40 seconds and six minutes) and glide surreptitiously under the listener's attention. When one decides to turn up the volume (the CD is recorded at a very low level), beauty is suddenly found in the form of shards and the music makes sense. So delicate, very fragmented, often minimal in terms on notes played and sounds heard, this microcosmic ballet has nothing to do with virtuosity -- it's all restraint. When the energy level occasionally picks up, the listener feels disoriented. Some avant-garde lovers will find this music too stoical. Those who like to listen to an album closely will discover unsuspected beauty in what could be perceived as a difficult performance.